Sobering press release from Oxfam. Perhaps one of the reasons so many people are part of the current great migration from the poorest countries in the world. And why in the richest countries in the world, there are So many without access to proper food, shelter, clean water, good public education, and proper healthcare. And women lag behind men in wages.

Read the whole article. 42 people in the world own as much wealth as the.entire bottom half of the worlds humanity. Let that sink in.
]]>Simple Public Policyflowerseverywherehttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17083-richest-1-got-82-of-the-wealth2020 Presidential Candidateshttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17057-2020-Presidential-Candidates&goto=newpost
Sun, 13 Jan 2019 13:04:56 GMTStarting with Tulsi Gabbard who announced just Friday her intention to run for President in 2020. Already this morning the Huffington Post ran a hit...Starting with Tulsi Gabbard who announced just Friday her intention to run for President in 2020. Already this morning the Huffington Post ran a hit piece against her which shows exactly where the left “middle-right” leaning mainstream media stand. Bashing Gabbard for her global anti-interventionism and linking her to Trumps foreign policy and claiming she is an anti-Muslim bigot.......the Huff Post props up Warren and Sanders by name as the proper candidates.

Not 48 hours after her announcement, it is clear she will face a barrage of attacks in the name of clearing the field before it has even been taken. By the time of the 2020 election Sanders will be pushing 80 years of age. His opportunity was squashed by the same attitude the Huff Post shows here. Hopefully, the opinion of the American voters will be vetted in the public domain and not the bought and paid for mainstream media.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b01c93e00a0009
]]>Simple Public PolicyWilliamsmithhttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17057-2020-Presidential-Candidateshttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17046-Kudos-to-Trump-s-handlers-and-no-snark-meant-here&goto=newpost
Thu, 10 Jan 2019 19:24:34 GMTI mean this. Trump's handlers did something very wise - apparently the border community he is slated to visit to share his wit and wisdom and Trumpisms galore (sarc fully on here but ending after this sentence) is McAllen, Texas. Brilliant move and I was actually hoping a Texas border city would be picked for his visit.

Why? Because Trump is mostly hated in California (and with good reason, witness the recent brouhaha with Trump wanting to deny California FEMA money after the massive fires), and very actively disliked in New Mexico, which is a poor state overall but is surprisingly quite liberal and progressive (it's like the poor person's California in some ways). This leaves Arizona and Texas as border states to visit. Trump is unwise to appear in Arizona these days as Arizona is getting more liberal by the day with all the Californians and also folks from expensive, liberal Northeast states moving here.....Arizona is purple now and not reliably red and I'm very grateful I've lived to see this day. It's not the best place for him to show his face given that his message will not be received as well here as it would have even ten years ago. This leaves Texas......so long as he avoids Austin and El Paso, both very reliably blue (but for different reasons) he can find people receptive to his message.

Gotta give his handlers some credit for having the common sense to figure this out. I seriously doubt Senor Trump left to his own devices has the basic intelligence and/or common sense to understand the above. Rob
]]>Simple Public Policygimmethesimplelifehttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17046-Kudos-to-Trump-s-handlers-and-no-snark-meant-hereThe government shutdown.....http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17043-The-government-shutdown&goto=newpost
Wed, 09 Jan 2019 21:24:27 GMTIs it impacting you, and if so, in what way? I'm hearing of future conventions (government related) getting cancelled and from more than one neighbor in the 85006 who works at the airport - apparently air traffic controllers won't be being paid soon. Top that off with the fact that 1/5th of them are currently retirement eligible and I see the potential for aviation disaster(s). I'm sure more impacts will be coming as this continues but these are two I have to offer up. Anyone else? Rob
]]>Simple Public Policygimmethesimplelifehttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17043-The-government-shutdownhttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17042-What-s-your-take-on-Trump-s-address&goto=newpost
Wed, 09 Jan 2019 21:18:20 GMTColor me unconvinced and afraid. RobColor me unconvinced and afraid. Rob
]]>Simple Public Policygimmethesimplelifehttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17042-What-s-your-take-on-Trump-s-addressEminent domain/ national emergencyhttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17035-Eminent-domain-national-emergency&goto=newpost
Sat, 05 Jan 2019 12:06:55 GMTYesterday Trump talked about two issues regarding the border wall.
One was declaring a national emergency to get funds for the border wall. The...Yesterday Trump talked about two issues regarding the border wall.

One was declaring a national emergency to get funds for the border wall. The second was eminent domain. I have been reading a lot of information about these two issues. Eminent domain has quite a history in this country, particularly in Texas.

Often eminent domain gets tangled up in the courts and sometimes Native American tribal land is involved.

Is this a national emergency? Anyone have any experience with eminent domain? It does not look so simple from what I can see.
]]>Simple Public Policyflowerseverywherehttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17035-Eminent-domain-national-emergencyWho Pays for Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties?http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17031-Who-Pays-for-Anti-Dumping-and-Countervailing-Duties&goto=newpost
Thu, 03 Jan 2019 20:05:48 GMTPresident Trump sent a boastful tweet on 1/3/2019:
The United States Treasury has taken in MANY billions of dollars from the Tariffs we are...President Trump sent a boastful tweet on 1/3/2019:

The United States Treasury has taken in MANY billions of dollars from the Tariffs we are charging China and other countries that have not treated us fairly...

Actually the seasonally adjusted Federal Customs Receipts are now running about $5 billion per month. This is by far the highest amount for as far back as I can see. In 2002 the Federal Customs Receipts were less than $2 billion per month. During 2018 the monthly take from tariffs increased from $3 billion the most recent $5 billion.

Does Donald Trump believe that China is being charged? Or is he spinning a deceptive version of events?

I understand that Anti-Dumping and Countervailing duties, as well as any general or special tariffs are all paid by the importer. (Think "Wal-Mart", "Amazon", "Dell", "KitchenAid", "Whirlpool", etc.) The importer pays the estimated duties by a cash deposit at the time the goods enter the United States. Then Customs and Border Protection assesses a final amount due and will accordingly send the importer either a bill or a refund.

Initially the importer pays, and ultimately (if sales go according to plan) the importer passes the costs of customs duties along to American consumers.
]]>Simple Public Policydado potatohttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17031-Who-Pays-for-Anti-Dumping-and-Countervailing-Dutieshttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17017-So-what-s-your-take-will-the-Border-Wall-be-built-and-or&goto=newpost
Sun, 30 Dec 2018 20:51:55 GMTwill the US/Mexico border be closed?

I realize that most posters here don't live in a border state and that I am likely the only poster here from my infamous zip code. Granted. Here in Arizona and even more so in my zip code, this issue is A VERY BIG DEAL. Moreso even than that schmuck judge in Texas striking down the ACA. What do you think will happen here? It seems to be a perfect storm with neither side willing to blink and who knows how many American lives hanging in the balance should be border in fact be sealed due to the thousands and thousands of Americans forced to flee to Mexico for health care due to affordability issues in the United States slash America could care less if you live or die as your life is not worth socialized medicine here.

I don't know what's going to happen but I am afraid, very afraid, and I don't see this ending well for everyday people. But enough about what I think.....I posted this to find out what others think about this issue.......Rob
]]>Simple Public Policygimmethesimplelifehttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17017-So-what-s-your-take-will-the-Border-Wall-be-built-and-orhttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17016-DH-s-Financial-Awakening!&goto=newpost
Sun, 30 Dec 2018 17:53:46 GMTOMG, I never thought I'd see the day!

Yesterday I showed him where we netted out in our budget for 2018. Rather than glaze over, he actually asked me MORE questions and asked me to break out specific line items (I had simplified the table so as not to overwhelm him).

Then he asked me to construct a 2019 worksheet so we can work on our budget for next year.

!!!!!!!!

So, I did that and gave it to him this morning, and we've gone through half of the line items so far. He is just now taking a break but we'll be finishing shortly. We're talking 50 individual line-items that he's thinking carefully through and we're discussing like adults! And he's enjoying it! And we haven't had one fight!

I'm going to see if he'll be amenable tomorrow to examining our cash-on-hand for expenses for January and making sure we have the money to pay for the things we've budgeted for. (But I'm not going to PUSH! I don't want to get greedy!)
]]>Simple Public Policycatherinehttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17016-DH-s-Financial-Awakening!Syriahttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17000-Syria&goto=newpost
Mon, 24 Dec 2018 22:37:59 GMTSo no one has any thought about pulling out of Syria? Can Turkey finish up? Should we really care? Or if itís Trumps idea it is just automatically...So no one has any thought about pulling out of Syria? Can Turkey finish up? Should we really care? Or if itís Trumps idea it is just automatically bad.
]]>Simple Public Policydmchttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?17000-Syria